Tokarski, Dustin

Jaroslav Janus allowed 4 goals on 22 shots for the loss. He's dropped 4 of his last 5 and his save percentage has fallen to .890. Considering Dustin Tokarski has won 4 of his last 5, there's some separation between the two that is being established.

As I mentioned after last night's game, it's hard to beat a team on back-to-back nights when you really beat them badly on the first night. There's a tendency to come out complacent while they come out flying because they don't want to be embarrassed again. That happened tonight, to the tune of a 13-7 shot advantage for the Bruins that was much wider the first 10-15 minutes of play, but Tokarski held the game close and allowed the Admirals to gain their legs.

In the third period, the game was broken open by the line of Palat/Wright/Panik. It's hard to believe that was just Wright's first goal of the season, but perhaps now he has a stable line to run on. He'd be the "Oh Canada!" in the Czech-Oh-Slovakia line.

Norfolk is 2 points back of the Penguins in 2nd place in the East Division and 4th overall in the Eastern Conference. They draw the Pens in a key divisional showdown on Tuesday in Norfolk.

It's just so difficult to beat a team on back-to-back nights, and it sometimes seems to be harder when you dominate them on the first night. Tonight, Peter Mannino had the wall up for the baby Jets, and that was the difference.

It took 40 minutes, but the Admirals re-found their offense and their power play, based partly on Barberio's 3-point period. His effort moved him back into the top slot amongst all AHL defensemen in scoring. What's more exceptional, to me, is that he's at 15 points in 14 games. A point-a-game pace is so difficult to maintain at the AHL level, and especially by a defenseman. He had 31 points all of last season, in 68 games. He's pretty much halfway to that mark already.

Tyrell snapped a 5 game scoreless streak with his 3rd multi-point game of the season.

This season Bolt Prospects introduced our Prospect of the Week award, an honor (virtually) given to one Tampa Bay Lightning prospect for their on-ice contributions. There are no trophies or plaques or blue sports jackets involved, but weâ€™re fairly certain this award will be tattooed on someone at some time.

Quite simply, we wanted to highlight prospects throughout the year to help fans get better acquainted with the next round of Lightning stars while recognizing the prospectâ€™s achievement on the ice.

In his first two starts of the year, Dustin Tokarski, the Lightningâ€™s top goaltending prospect, allowed 11 goals. In his next five games, heâ€™s given up a total of five goals.

Tokarski earned our First Star of the Week for a 37-save shutout on Sunday in Providence, and a 20-save performance in a 1-0 loss in Albany on Friday. His 0.50 GAA and .983 save percentage for the week has helped solidify Tokarski as the Lightningâ€™s No.3 goaltender and Norfolkâ€™s unquestioned starter. Donâ€™t be surprised if Admirals Head Coach Jon Cooper gives â€œThe Tikâ€ extra starts in the coming days and weeks as Tokarski has a history of month-long streaks like this where he is nearly impossible to beat.

Dustin Tokarski (pictured) had a 37 save shutout victory. In his 2 starts this weekend, he stopped 47 of 48 shots he faced, and it's only crummy goal support that kept him from going 2-0-0. He's pushed his save percentage back up over .900 (.903) and his GAA has pushed back down to 2.54. Remember, he gave up 11 goals in his first 2 starts this year, so this is significant improvement.

No player splits opinion on the Bolt Prospects staff like Labrie, whose skating is stiff as a corpse but works his butt off on every shift and hits everything that moves. To me, Labrie is one of those guys like Corey Spring, back-in-the-day, who is a good minor league soldier who gives you so much more than the sum of his parts.

Ashton, ho hum, temporarily moves back into a tie for 3rd in the league in scoring, and first in goals.

Still no Ritola in the lineup. Norfolk returns home Wednesday night to square off with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in their first encounter of the season with the hated Pens.

With his 2 point night, Ashton is now tied for 5th in the league in scoring at 13 points, 3 points back of Joe Colborne of Toronto. Teammate Cory Conacher (pictured) is now tied for 8th in the league, 2 points back of Ashton with 11. The two forwards pace all AHL rookies in scoring.

Norfolk outshot Providence 41-22 in the game, and subsequently doubled them up on the scoreboard.

With the win, Norfolk leaps Hershey for the top spot in the league at 13 points after the Bears stubbed their toes in Springfield in overtime tonight. Their 40 goals scored also pace the league. On paper, this is a championship caliber team, if they get the goaltending and if their defense continues to mature as the season churns on.

They roll into Syracuse tomorrow night to face a tough test against a Crunch team that has only lost once, so far, in regulation.